Obama to nominate former DoD official as DHS secretary

Oct. 17, 2013 - 06:00AM
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Former Pentagon general counsel Jeh Johnson was nominated to lead the Department of Homeland Security. (Defense Department)

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President Obama will nominate former Defense Department official Jeh Johnson to be the new secretary of the Department of Homeland Security tomorrow, according to a senior White House official.

Johnson was appointed in 2009 to be the general counsel for DoD before resigning in 2012. Before that he served as a U.S. attorney and as Air Force general counsel and spent time working as an attorney in the private sector.

The president is selecting Johnson because he is one of the most qualified and respected national security leaders and was known for his sound judgment while at DoD, according to the official. He was also responsible for the legal review and approval of every military operation approved by the administration, according to the official.

Johnson also helped lead the review that recommended repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

Former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano resigned in September to become president of the University of California system.